The Best Time To Post on Instagram

Do a quick Google search of the “Best Time to Post on Instagram.” You’ll get 1,000s of results and not many answers. Research used to show that you could post virtually anytime to get a higher amount of likes and interaction. Wrong. But there is a best time to post to Instagram and it usually has to do with where you live and WHO your followers are.

But there’s more to it than that. And this post is going to break it down.

Why should we post to Instagram at the optimal time?

When we post at the right time, more people will see your post. Basically, one of the ways to master the Instagram Algorithm is to post when more of your followers are actually online. When you do this, they will actually see your posts, interact with them, and then Instagram will continue sharing your posts to a wider audience. Meaning, post at the right time and gain more likes and interaction.

Have I piqued your interest yet?!

I’m going to use myself as an example. If I post something at 1 A.M. on a Friday night, there’s a good chance it’s not going to be seen as much as a post at 6 P.M. the same day, no matter the picture. My followers are probably asleep or out having fun and not looking at Instagram.

The best times to post on Instagram:

First, these times are central time zone. They might differ slightly for you. Remember, this is UNIVERSALLY speaking.

Right now, (and this post was updated May 2018) the best time to post to Instagram is from 8am – 9am on Mondays. Times to avoid are between 3 pm – 4pm during the week.

Weekdays:

9 am People are awake, maybe drinking their morning coffee. They aren’t commuting to work or answering their first emails of the day.

Mid-day 11am-2pm I know this is a wide range but think of this around lunch time. People take a break to eat, and check social media.

6:30-9pm Again, they are home from work, able to scroll through their phones.

The best day to post is Monday according to Huffington post. This is a day that has the best instagram engagement- meaning more likes and comments all around.

Another active day? Thursday, thanks to #tbt.

Weekends:

Saturday at 7pm. This is when people are out and about and might check their phone. Another time is 11pm. It seems late, but you’ll also have less competition of others posting photos.

Sunday at 5pm. This might because lazy Sunday is finally settling in, you’re no longer day drinking, but thinking about tomorrow’s activities and checking your feed.

Why isn’t this 100% accurate? Because everyone has different followers, in different times zones, with different jobs, etc.To be honest, you don’t have to follow this at all. I don’t! I think it’s fun to post images more organically, but it’s always nice to know.

While all of this sounds great, it’s not the end all, be all when it comes time to posting to Instagram. The great news is that Instagram has awesome analytics which will showcase when your followers are more active. For example, since I live abroad, posting at 8am simply doesn’t work for me because my followers are USA based and that’s actually 3 am in the morning for them. Instead, I typically post around the WRONG time which is 3-4pm!

I can easily look at my analytics and see my followers are based mostly in the US and plan accordingly.

Another app to use, espeically if you aren’t an Instagram business account is Iconosqure. This will also help you ,ap out when to post on Instagram:

The bigger the circle, the better time to post.

Remember, in order to receive more engagement, we want to find the best time for YOU to post. To beat the algorithm we want to post so more people interact and how quickly they interact. Which is why posting time is so important.

Top Tips for Getting More Engagement On Instagram

I suggest taking a look at your followers and seeing what their local time zone is. Knowing this information can help you to more greatly connect and find what works for you.

Weekdays have greater weight, so save your best posts for during the week. That’s not to say don’t post at all on the weekend, just typically more people are engaged during the week.

Use the tools Instagram gives you. I suggest promoting your posts on Instagram stories to encourage engagement. I also think using Instagram Stories is the best way to continue to grow your account and engagement. Here’s my complete guide to Instagram Stories or check out 30 Instagram Story ideas.